Birds of Stanhope
What has actually been seen around Stanhope: 115 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 115 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,120 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Starling
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 208 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Stanhope
115 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Stanhope (County Durham) since 2010, across 6,120 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Starling, Willow Grouse and Woodpigeon.
Stanhope is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Starling, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Barn Owl, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in November — about 21.9 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and winter visitors), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.
Frosterley, 5 km to the south-east, has more species on record (121 against 115).
At about 208 m above sea level, Stanhope sits higher than most places in County Durham. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 19 min at midsummer to 7 h 13 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:29 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Stanhope
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 234 |
| 2 | Willow GrouseLagopus lagopus | 199 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 191 |
| 4 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 191 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 187 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 183 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 182 |
| 8 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 180 |
| 9 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 173 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 169 |
| 11 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 168 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 162 |
| 13 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 155 |
| 14 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 135 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 122 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 121 |
| 17 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 119 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 116 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 114 |
| 20 | Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus | 109 |
Records by month
What to put out in Stanhope
Seasonal bird notes for County Durham
What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for UK gardens. One email a month at most.
Nearby places
Frequently asked
What birds visit gardens in Stanhope?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Stanhope are Starling, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Chaffinch, based on 6,120 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Stanhope?
115 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Stanhope?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:29.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.